‘PEOPLE ARE EXCITED BY US BECAUSE WE'RE COMPLETELY INCLUSIVE'
How swoon is now?
The Hold Steady are a bunch of thirtysomething Minneapolans playing ballsy bar room rock’n’roll. Mark Robertson reckons they might just break your heart.
s timely dates go. The Hold Steady stomping their way through their set on Valentine‘s Day
is about as apposite as you can get. ‘A lot of times we get guys bringing their girlfriends to our shows and end up ignoring them.‘ says (‘raig Finn. 'We look out and see those girls. their arms
folded across their chests. fuming and staring at us as if
to say “this is all your fault!” But hey. I‘m a romantic.‘ It‘s a little after 8am in San Francisco. and Finn. frontman. mouthpiece and lyricist of America‘s latest. greatest rock’n‘roll band. is supposed to be on vacation. Instead he‘s out pounding the streets — so as not to wake his friends — on the phone trying to convey the
magic of his hands new record. (fills and Boys of
America. to members of the European press. To be honest. he didn‘t have to go to such lengths as Girls and Boys . . . is probably one of the best albums you‘ll hear all year. (Yes. it’s only February. but it is!)
A sublime mix of grimy. old fashioned bar room rock‘n‘roll in the spirit of Springsteen back when he could still rock and The Replacements. replete with poignant. witty lyrics you‘d want to read as much listen to. This is music with big incessant hooks. explosive choruses and trembling specks of fragility and humility. The US press universally adored the record on its release there. Finn was delighted by the response. After three albums things have started to come together.
‘Technology has meant people are becoming more fragmented and distant and I think the reason people are getting excited by us is that we're completely inclusive. It might be cool to have 2()()() people on your Myspace friends list. bttt it‘s way better to have 500
66 THE LIST 14:") Fol) 2007
people in a room getting into your music there and then. Most importantly with us there‘s no pretensions. you just come and party.‘
Despite Finn‘s base terms this is no frat boy mindless mosh. The music is upbeat and wildly melodic but the finesse lies in the lyrics. where he constructs narratives of come-ups. come-downs. parties that dragged on just a little too long. snatched moments of tenderness with strangers and falling. or failing to fall. in love.
Characters appear and reappear in Hold Steady songs: shifty Charlemagne. mashed up Gideon and flaky Holly are the stars. Their highs are stunted and gloriously untidy but savoured. like their lows. indulged in all their gory. indulgent glory. Finn is less an indie Springsteen. more an American Jarvis Cocker. It all feels very real. Which. of course. it isn‘t.
‘The stories are fiction because I never directly experienced any of it. They're sometimes stories I‘ve heard told before or read.‘
The revisiting of these characters gives a tremendous sense of cohesion to their music. It is familiar but never repetitive. making it almost filmic. or even televisual — think Dun-son 's Creek meets Pulp Fiction uptown.
In a musical landscape crammed with acts whose work feels contrived or forced. The Hold Steady are truly great because they make something instantly accessible and natural. Their potential stadium fillers could easily be as porous as. say. Oasis” calls to arms but they are deeper and more vivid. and for that wholly more compelling. And that‘s not just a romantic notion.
The Cathouse, Glasgow, Wed 14 Feb.
NME Indie Rock The View, The Automatic (pictured), Mumm-Ra and The Horrors are this year‘s would-be contenders for global rock stardom. Or a toddle back to indie obscurity. The choice is yours. See feature, page 24. Carling Academy, Glasgow, Thu 7 8. Fri 2 Feb. (Rock & Pop)
.-:: Bringdarukus presents The Celtic Connection This ain’t no folky shindig this issue but actually a pair of showcases for the finest names in Scottish and lrish hip hop. There’s a different line-up for each city with Respek BA and Surface EMP topping the bills in Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively. See www.bringdarukus.com for more details. The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Thu 7 Feb; The Hold, Glasgow, Thu 8 Feb. (Rock & Pop)
Swedish Jazz Festival Twelve towns around Scotland play host to 37 shows from sublime players like Esbjorn Svensson, Fredrik Ljungkvist and Viktoria Tolstoy covering all corners of the genre. See preview, page 67. Various venues, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Thu 8 Feb—Mon 79 Mar. (Jazz)
Aereogramme We raved about their new album last issue, and now there's an opportunity to witness their epic cinematic rockingness up close and personal. See preview, page 65. Classic Grand, Glasgow, Mon 72 Feb. (Rock & Pop)
‘ ~- Badly Drawn Boy and Malcolm Middleton A seriously good double bill here, two big songwriters coming from pretty different angles but both knocking out some truly memorable songs. Middleton's new album is out next month and is tremendous. Look out for a review next issue. Queen '3 Hall, Edinburgh, Tue 73 Feb. (Rock a Pop)
.4 The Hold Steady See preview, left. Cathouse, Glasgow, Wed 74 Feb.
(Rock & Pop)